Admittedly, we at LHA are pretty big Formula 1 fans.
With the Singapore Grand Prix coming up this weekend at the legendary Marina Bay Sands, we decided to take a deeper look into the world of hotel and sports partnerships and the ways in which luxury boutique hotels can capitalize on this growing trend.
Partnerships between hotel brands and sports teams isn’t a new concept, and LHA has extensive experience with creating strategic, lucrative partnerships for our clients.
Hotel Marketing + Sports – Football
Palladium Hotel Group, for example, recently renewed their partnership with Real Madrid, a Spanish professional football club. The partnership began in 2019 and will be extended through 2025, covering the next three seasons. Last year, Real Madrid and Palladium launched the Real Madrid Foundation Clinics, a 5-day recreational-educational experience for kids to train with Real Madrid professionals during family holidays at select Palladium hotels. Palladium Hotel Group’s logo is featured on Real Madrid’s uniform, increasing brand awareness for the hospitality group and bringing together two luxury brands with cohesive values. Strategic alliances like this have allowed Palladium to become one of the most influential Spanish hotel groups in the world today.
Hotel Marketing + Sports – Formula 1
Hotel partnerships can also take place with individual teams. In July of this year, Marina Bay Sands and Scuderia Ferrari, the Formula 1 team of Ferrari, announced a multi-year deal that will bring “adrenaline-fueled activities and exclusive hotel packages” to guests while driving global exposure for both brands… pun intended. If you’re an F1 fan like us, let us know what you think of the brightly illuminated facade of the 57-story luxury resort this Sunday for the night race… we hope Ferrari red is your color.
Partnerships with sports teams and leagues can present a lucrative investment for luxury hotel brands with deep pockets. But what about smaller, independent luxury hotels and resorts that want to capitalize on this trend?
Culture and Community
Sports represent a gateway to a much bigger, deeply rooted concept that largely defines human nature itself – culture and community. It’s hard to put a cap on the amount of money one would spend to feel connected to their community, and with the rise of experience-driven spending, it’s more important than ever to provide guests an unforgettable, unique experience during their stay. Herein lies an opportunity available to savvy independent/boutique hoteliers – the ability to put your own creative spin on how your guests connect with their community.
LHA has advised dozens of luxury hotels and resorts on this very concept, helping to create mutually beneficial marketing partnerships within their local communities.
The Grand Prix de Monaco – One of Our Faves
One of our former clients, the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat has leveraged its close proximity to Monaco and the Formula 1 race route, by introducing an exclusive 3-day package dedicated to the Grand Prix de Monaco, one of the most prestigious car races in the world. The package included VIP accommodations and amenities for guests with transportation to viewing areas further increasing brand awareness for both the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat and F1 to a complementary clientele.
Unique Collaborations Can Drive Revenue
Unique collaborations maximize opportunity, and the dividends are twofold – increased brand awareness and revenue for both partners, and increased tourism/economic activity for communities, effectively creating a positive feedback loop. Successful experiential packages demonstrate the power of aligned incentives and underscore why building strong community relationships is a savvy investment for hospitality brands.
LHA Advisory Services
As part of our advisory services, LHA welcomes the opportunity to develop strategic, effective partnerships for our clients with significant upside potential for both parties. These community-driven experiences create lasting impressions on your guests, ultimately generating customer/brand loyalty.
People don’t remember years, months, weeks or days. They remember moments.
As the most trusted partner of luxury boutique hotels and independent brands, LHA takes great pride in our ability to advise our clients on how to create these unforgettable moments and develop lasting, fruitful partnerships. To learn more about our advisory services, please reach out to Teresa Holden at [email protected].
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